Your Centerville-Washington Park District is serious about providing the park and recreation opportunities you want! CWPD perpetually seeks resident and stakeholder input to build strategic plans, master plans, programming plans, capital improvements plans and budgets. This allows us to align resources with community priorities.
Our most recent Community Needs Assessment was conducted in 2022 — and in 2019 before that! Resident feedback generates great ideas and opinions, and we would like to share the many improvements that are a direct result of your input. So, every two weeks from July to November, we will post a short message about what’s been added, fixed, improved or expanded to meet your requests!
Recent Park Improvements
On the Park District’s most recent community survey, 89% of respondents supported enhancing existing park facilities. This kind of feedback drives how we distribute resources for facility maintenance and upgrades. The Park District has detailed repair and replacement schedules to prevent gaps in services, whether it be for big items like hardscapes or playground updates to maintain safe places to play, all the way down to smaller items like picnic tables and soccer nets.
Staff also take into account what residents rank as high, medium and low investment priorities for park facilities. Some that round out the top ten include hiking trails and paved paths, restrooms, shade, neighborhood parks, natural areas and additional opportunities for casual yard games and outdoor recreation. Here are some facility enhancements we have completed over the past few years that align with this feedback:
More shade:
- Dugout covers at Activity Center, Oak Creek South and Oak Grove Parks. Matching funds project with the Centerville Baseball Softball League.
- The addition of picnic shelters at Bill Yeck and Hithergreen Parks
- Playground shade at Forest Field and Yankee Parks
- Nearly 800 trees planted
Trails and Paths:
- 2.5 miles of paved path installed at community, nature and neighborhood parks
- 6 miles of hiking trail improvements
- Wayfinding system installed at Bill Yeck Park
Restrooms:
- Flush toilets added to Forest Field and Oak Grove Parks
- Overnight cleaning service so the park restrooms are ready for the public each morning
Neighborhood Parks:
- 2 to 3 neighborhood park playgrounds are updated each year based on the CWPD repair and replacement schedule
- New park signage
- Additional bench seating
Natural Areas:
- Addition of 150 acres of pollinator habitat
- Invasive species removal to promote biodiversity
- Additional opportunities for citizen science
- Streambank stabilization projects
Casual Yard Games and Outdoor Recreation:
- Archery Range upgrades with seating and new targets
- Permanent cornhole and picnic table seating at Activity Center Park entrance
Thank you for your input. It is only with resident input and feedback that the Park District can put resources where it is most important to you. Keep your suggestions coming!